A. I’ve helped Spirit Graphics and Printing in Chula Vista increase their visibility to other businesses, particularly those beyond the green business community, with the message that green printing is just great printing. I’ve worked with Home Town Farms in San Diego to boost public knowledge of their vertical, organic, urban-farming approach, which is greener, cheaper, and better for communities. For NewGrass in San Diego, I have helped develop targeted media campaigns based on the overall strategy of marketing their “eco-friendlier” synthetic turf for playgrounds.

Q. What are some of the national companies you have advised?

A. For Rent a Green Box, I provided support for a nationwide franchising rollout, letting people know about the opportunity for waste-free moving that Spencer Brown and his team have developed in Los Angeles and Orange counties. I worked with Volcom on promoting their “Give Jeans a Chance” program, in which they collected over 12,000 pairs of donated jeans for the homeless. I helped EcoStrip with content and marketing for their innovative, energy-efficient power strip. (The company says that its strip can save users $100 a year by turning off power-drawing devices when the computer isn’t being used.) I’ve also worked with AO! Glass, an art glass studio in Vermont. I’m helping these artists as they make sustainability a central part of their business, using their art as a tool to help create positive change in the world.

Q. How can a business escape from what you have termed the “green island”?

A. The problem is that the green community can be insular and needs to reach everyone else. Almost everyone wants to do the right thing for the planet, while a small minority rank the environment at the top of their list of concerns when buying things. For most people, their biggest concerns are things like paying their bills, working, and taking care of their kids. The key to getting off this island and reaching the mainland is to relate green issues to the concerns most people have, like these.

Q. What are some examples of green business opportunities that are hot right now?

A. Energy is hot, both energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Japanese nuclear crisis has us rethinking how we will get the energy we need. Unrest in the Middle East and the rising price of oil globally have also boosted interest in energy alternatives. Any green business that helps people save money is the way to go. … Because money is tight, and there are 7 billion people on Earth, we’re getting more efficient moving away from consumerism. Rather than buying one of everything, we can share, swap, rent, rebuild, reuse and repair the stuff we already have.